In peaceful Nara, The violent Death of ex-Prime minister Abe leaves residents shocked and saddened
Nara, once the capital of Japan, is a city known for its greenery, rolling hills, ancient Buddhist temples, friendly residents, slow-paced, languid, and peaceful life. It’s the last place one…
Let’s have a war! The reincarnation of a war criminal, The LDP, and militarising Japan
“Rich nation, strong army” (fukoku-kyohei) was the nineteenth-century slogan the ruling elite used to rapidly industrialize in the advent of the Meiji period to protect national interests against Western colonial…
Brand Japan, Brand Abe: A Clash of Narratives
Written by Nancy Snow Two decades ago I was working at the United States Information Agency (USIA), an independent foreign affairs agency of the U.S. Government. We were separate from…
Autumn Equinox (秋分の日): Honor your ancestors, remember the departed
While Shubun no Hi symbolizes the transition of summer into fall, the day also marks a time when Japanese people pay respects to their ancestors.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plagiarizes himself: If you can recycle nuclear fuel, why not speeches?
This year's Hiroshima bombing commemoration speech bears a uncanny resemblance to last year's.
Abe tells women to “shine,” but, really, he meant “die!”
A blog post written by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to show his support for women backfires when people pointed out that the English word "shine" can actually be read…